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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary


numbers as factors in the universe and in the life of man. He had been a disciple, like his father, of Chu Hsi, and it was he who soothed the dying hours of that great man. He was canonised as ^ IE 1 A^^ ^^ 1^37 his tablet was placed in the Confucian Temple.

1969 Ts^ai Ch*ien ^ ^ . Died A.D. 1809. A notorious pirate of Fuhkien, who for many years harried the coasts of Chehkiang, Fuhkien, Euaugtuog, and Formosa, raiding important cities and fighting pitched battles with the Imperial Admiral Li ChWg-k£ng. Owing to the traitorous supineness of the Fuhkien authorities he obtained fine ships and ample supplies, and he was aided until 1800 by the Annamese.

1970 T8*ai Ching ^ JJS of ^ P^ Hsa-mfin. 2nd cent. A.D. A man of the people, in whose dwelling Wang Yflan took up his abode when he wandered eastwards to seek a hermit's life. Under Wang's teaching he attained to the condition of an Immortal. See Ma Ku.

1971 Ts*ai Ching ^^ (T. jt^) A.D. 1046-1126. A native of f[lj |S^ Hsien-yu in Fuhkien, and elder brother of Ts^ai Pien. Graduating as chin shih in 1070, he rose to be Prefect of K'ai- fSug Fu. In 1085 he gained the favour of the Empress Dowager by supporting her regency, and that of Sstl-ma Euang by his skilful administration of the corvde system in his Prefecture. In 1094 he became President of the Board of Revenue, and immediatelj leagued himself with his brother and Chang Tun to ruin Ssti-mt Euang and his party; but on the accession of the Emperor Hni Tsuug he was ordered to the provinces as Prefect, and on his refusal to go he was degraded. However in 1101 he was again in office and soon obtained control of the administration, being appointed Lord High Chamberlain in 1107. He ruled harshly, filling all posts with his own men, and making oppressive changes in the salt gabelle and coinage, while his aggressive frontier policy led to expensive wars. He became Minister of Public Works, and